Kazantzakis, Nikos

1883 - Born on the 18th of February in Heraklion, Crete, Greece. 1902 - Kazantzakis began the study of law at the University of Athens. 1907 - Went to Paris to study philosophy, where he studied under Henri Bergson. 1914 - He met Angelos Sikelianos. Together they travelled for two years in places where Greek Christian culture flourished, largely influenced by the enthusiastic nationalism of Sikelianos. 1919 - Director General of the Ministry of Social Relief. 1945 - He became the leader of a small party on the noncommunist left, and entered the Greek government as Minister without Portfolio. He resigned this post the following year. 1946 - The Society of Greek Writers recommended that Kazantzakis and Angelos Sikelianos be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. 1957 - He lost the Prize to Albert Camus by one vote. Camus later said that Kazantzakis deserved the honour "a hundred times more" than himself. 1957 - Died on the 26th of October in Freiburg, Germany.